Elaine Paige opens Sept. 12 in a revival of a revival of “Follies.” She says:
“I never saw the original or any version of it. Bernadette Peters is wonderful in this production. We met once 13 years ago. In London. Producer Cameron Mackintosh had a party with a long list of artists like Judi Dench, Julie Andrews. Bernadette and I shared a dressing room.
“Openings always create pressure. Coming here I love and have done for 30 years. But difficult is settling into a strange apartment far from home in London. I only arrived 3 ¹/ weeks ago. I’m alone. Takes time to adjust. I’m the worst traveler. I’m contacting friends, but it’s awhile to find stores and where you like to shop.
“To feel homey, I’ve brought photos of family and friends. Books. My computer. Favorite shoes, clothes, perfume. So many cases that I’m still wondering where to put it all. I need a bit of clutter around like one has in one’s home. Takes time to feel settled. Where to put things, how’s the air conditioning work, where’s the lamp plug, what do you push for the TV. And in the city that never sleeps, one needs blackout curtains. I need blinds and something dark. I’m just sort of beginning to feel settled.”
Elaine has stated she distrusts female reporters. “I’ve had a bad experience. An in-depth interview where I was misquoted and in ways it was misconstrued.”
I assured her she could trust me and that I was such a marvelous human being it’s a wonder our boro president hasn’t had me knighted.
“Follies” opens at the Marriott Marquis.
IN Vietnam days, it was the Green Berets. Surviving New York, it’s the Red Berets. Seeing a Korean gentleman in trouble in last week’s hurricane, Chief Red Beret Curtis Sliwa ran to help, fell and Saturday was in the hospital … Those with kin in Syria are very careful on the phone. Everybody’s monitored. Everyone’s scared. Nobody says anything … Want an uptown neighborhood restaurant? I recommend Bocca East, 78th and Second. Rustic looking. Waiters in suspenders. Good food. Brand-new. And packed.
WHILE New York and New Jersey growl over who speaks at the 9/11 Memorial, Journal of Emergency Medicine’s doing a special issue on responders and Ground Zero workers. Britain’s Testimony Films is making two documentaries. The History Channel doc-commemorates firefighters and lifesaving medical personnel like Dr. Robert Lahita, VP and Chairman of Medicine at Newark Beth Israel who ran Jersey’s triage center. National Geographic is spotlighting the international victims. All of this while Bloomy and Christie face off at 10 paces.
THAT Kim/Kardashian/Kris kouplehood took place a half-hour late. The 15,000-square-foot Southwestern-style mansion was a mile and a half from Santa Barbara’s Four Seasons where imports stayed. Helicopters overhead. More security than the White House. On the last lap, you dumped your Rolls, Hummer or BMW and chugged by bus.
For the traditional double-ring ceremony’s black-and-white décor Vera Wang, who was busy dancing, wore a simple long white shmatta, Greta Van Susteren, who wasn’t busy dancing, a black tuxedo. Menu: chicken, pasta, soup and the usual cookies, Napoleons desert tray. One invited drunk pronounced the wine good. Merlot, cabernet. Tubs of Champagne.
Minus certain announced powerful heavy-duty guests, it was mostly friends — 400-plus, not thousands. The new missus went table to table thanking everyone. Father-in-law Bruce Jenner said how determined Kim was. Not how much in love. How determined. Although some people left about 11, maybe 80 percent are still there.
AUG. 28, to promo Madonna handing Britney Spears the Lifetime Achievement thing, MTV Music Awards planned a Madonna-inspired commercial with a real cat strutting as the Material Girl. But the playful friendly cat originally cast, model Courtney Klotz’s 4-year-old blonde Punky, got fired. Signed for his first professional job by the Dawn Agency, he did several rehearsals, five costume fittings and sat atop a cake for the finale. But another wanted an animal-trainer friend’s gray feline Mona.
Not to be catty but, no scene stealer, Mona’s color was indifferent. Spunky Punky, a professional, went home pay-checkless. Says her owner: “Punky’s not angry. He loves posing. He lives to be in front of the camera.” He’s reading Paris Hilton’s memoir.
REPAYING Palm Beachites who’ve entertained him for years, Conrad Black publicly saying he hates Palm Beach and its people … Excuse me, but why the lousy stories about Monaco’s Prince Albert and his brand-new wife, swimmer Charlene whatserface of South Africa? Bad stuff in London’s newspapers. How ungood could it be? They only married 10 minutes ago … Jon Bon Jovi is planning next year’s 50th birthday at Da Tommaso.
EAST side doctor asked about a first-time patient’s health insurance. The fellow replied he has none. The doc said: “I’m going to refer you to a specialist who deals with these kinds of ailments.”
Only in New York, kids, only in New York.